


Gimme A Reyna

by Pandaastronaut



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 18:38:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5836432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandaastronaut/pseuds/Pandaastronaut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyna's birthday is in less than a month and Jason has one gift down but doesn't get to finish planning the other. Reyna's reaction to both, along with a flashback from when they were little, are entailed in this short fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gimme A Reyna

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShutUpPercy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShutUpPercy/gifts).



> A fic for Katy also because platonic Jeyna is really fun to write.

Jason frantically scribbled more and more instructions on the small note. His face was twisted in concentration as the tip of his tongue came out to moisten his dry lips.

Once he was finished he sat up staring at the words with satisfaction and pride. He slipped it across the counter to the the man on the other side. He was a man in his late thirties with already thinning chestnut hair and warm honey brown eyes. He wore an apron that said, ‘Friends don’t let friends drink bad coffee,’ in extremely cursive writing over his pot belly. His hands, wrinkled from washing dishes twenty-four seven, lifted the note to his face and scanned it briefly.

“Rather vague,” he said smoothing out his goatee.

“That’s all I require because everything else i’ll leave to the expert,” he said smiling up and his older friend and clapping his hands once. “I should get back to work, you know how she gets without her coffee.” Jason winked and picked up the two espressos to go and turned to exit the café.

“Jason,” he spun around to the man’s call and saw him smile and wave the note above his head, “i’ll do my best.” Jason blinked before his face split into two by his ear to ear grin.

He stepped out of the shop and took in a deep breath feeling the chilly nights air blow into his jacket. This was his and Reyna’s favorite shop in all of New Rome. They’d met here, the very first time they’d met was in that very shop at that very same counter. Jason chuckled at the memory of how they’d fought right there on the floor. Jason had won of course, having had more experience than her, but not without his fair share of bruises.

And besides it wasn’t like he could even dream about winning against her now. He entered the Principia and silently made his way to where Reyna was sitting around the large table before the praetors thrones. She sat between two large stacks of paperwork, half of which Jason should be helping with. 

She lifted her head as he approached and sat back with a sigh, “Took you long enough i was this close to my head exploding,” she put her thumb and pointer fingers a distance apart as if she were pinching someone. 

Jason had first hand experience with her pinches and let him tell you, you don’t want one.

He handed her her cup and she took it gratefully. She pulled the lid off and inhaled the steam coming off the surface, her eyes closed and a smile softening her features. “it’s decaf,” he said quickly, pulling out one of the chairs next to her and sat so he was straddling it, and added, “otherwise you’d never sleep tonight.”

She raised one eyebrow at him before sipping at the hot liquid, her body visibly relaxing. He blew on his and took a sip as well before blurting out. “So.”

Reyna lowered her cup and met his gaze, “So?”

“Your birthday’s coming up,” he said leaning the chair forward so it was only on two of it’s legs, “aren’t you excited?” Reyna only sipped her drink again peering at him over the rim of the cup. “Didn’t I have one of those last year?” Jason let the chair back on all four legs and spread his arms wide, “That’s the beauty of birthdays you get to have one every year!” he exclaimed and rested his arms on the back of the chair while taking a gulp of his rapidly cooling drink.

“So, any plans for your special day?” he asked setting his cup down on the table and picking up one of the many sheets of paper. “Go to Brian’s Café as soon as it turns midnight on my birthday, pig out for three hours, come back and sleep.” 

It was Jason’s turn to lift an eyebrow, “But we do that every year,” he whined giving her a little pout.

“Your point?” she said in an indifferent tone, still leisurely sipping her magically still-too-hot-for-gulps-but-not-for-long-sips coffee.

“C’mon Reyna you’ve got to have something else planned,” he leaned forward again frowning at her, “that can’t be all i mean you’re gonna have half the day off!” She tapped her sharply manicured nails on the side of her cup as her black eyes stared into his electric blue ones, “Which idiot came up with the rule that praetors have half the day off on their birthdays anyway?”

Jason punched her lightly in the arm, “I made it to give workaholics like you a break or else you wouldn’t have to worry about the monsters doing you in ‘cause you’d have done their jobs for them.”

Reyna smiled, something she rarely did in public. She claimed it made her look weak but Jason thought it made her look even more of a leader than she already was.

He sighed and pouted again, “Sometimes i wonder if you’re the same girl i fought in the middle of a café,” he mumbled and a smirk split across Reyna's face, “Wanna find out?”

Jason smiled and jumped to his feet quickly, “No powers.” he said before taking his stance.

“No powers,” she agreed and got into position in front of him.

It began with Jason charging her full speed and ended with her sitting on top of him still sipping her coffee.”Yeah,” he grunted from beneath her, “You’re the same girl alright though i don’t remember you beating me.” He twisted his neck to look up and her reaction and a smirk spread across his face at the sight of her scowl. She stood up and brushed herself off before stretching out a hands to him.

He took his chance and summoned a gust of wind to knock her off her feet. She fell forward next to him with a hard thud and he saw as she gasped to collect back some of the air knocked out of her when she hit the floor. She turned her head to stare at him before bursting into a fit of laughter that caused him to start laughing too.

Soon they weren’t praetors but simple 15 year old laughing uncontrollably on the floor next to each other. “You,” he took in a deep breath, “you should have seen your face!”

“My face? I wish i’d had a mirror for you to look in!” She countered.

“So a tie?” he asked rolling over onto his back.

“After you cheated,” she scoffed and rolled over onto hers, “not a chance superman.”

“OK but was i at least close?” he asked hopefully turning his head to face her with a lopsided grin.

“I’ll have to get back to you on that one Grace.” she yawned invoking one from him too.

They both stood up and stared at the virtually untouched pile of work still on the table. “Tomorrow?” Jason asked, “Tomorrow.” Reyna agreed stretching then slumping over. “Goodnight Jason see you in the morning,” she waved before picking up her coffee and heading back to her private quarters her long glossy black hair trailing behind her as her figure retreated.

After putting the papers in neat piles on the table he headed for his own room.

********************************************************************************************

His room was a mess by the time he had found the sticky note pad. Reyna might not have been planning to do anything for her birthday but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t.

After writing down as much as he could think of he stuck the note behind a picture of him and Reyna and jumped into his bed, not ever realizing that he’d never get to plan his surprise.

He wouldn’t remember anything, not even his best friend.

********************************************************************************************

Reyna made her way through New Rome as grim as ever, although no one was awake to notice. It was about five minutes to midnight on the night before her birthday. She should be happy, turning sixteen, but instead she was stressed and borderline giving up on everything.

A month ago Jason Grace, her co-praetor and best friend, went missing all of a sudden. He didn’t take anything with him, didn’t leave a note just up and vanished without so much as a trace.  
So of course Reyna would have double the work to do whereas she refused to find a replacement for Jason. She entered Brian’s Café and marched up to her usual seat by the counter. She rang the bell on the counter and waited as the owner lumbered in from the kitchen drying a mug in his hands. “Reyna!” he smiled at her as he approached the counter setting down the mug and resting his arms across the counter top.

“Hey Brian,” even to her she sounded exhausted.

“No luck with the search?” he asked offering a sad smile and she sighed shaking her head.

“Come on i’ll get you your drink, if it doesn’t cheer you up then stuffing yourself with pastries should.” He had a look in his eye that she couldn’t quite decipher in her state of mind so she didn’t try. He went back into the kitchen and she spun around to face the stool Jason normally sat with her, now empty.

She couldn’t help the smile that came when she remembered how they’d first met.

She had come to camp a few days before and had no friends. She’d sat where she was now, sipping on hot chocolate trying to forget how cold it was outside. 

Jason had come to take her back because it had been time for dinner. She’d been stubborn and refused. He then had to result to trying to drag her back. Note she’d been very aware he was some big shot Jupiter kid but she’d just dealt with pirates so wasn’t about to take anymore crap from anyone. 

She’d fought back using every trick in the book including biting his shoulder when he tried to throw her over it and carry her back (she was twelve what did you expect a clean fight?) Even though eventually she’d lost the fight she was pleased at the damage she'd managed to cause him.

Before taking her to her table he’d settled them both behind a bush.

“You fight like a girl,” she’d spat at him once regaining her breath.

“Wish I could say the same for you,” he said and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Look I wish I hadn’t had to have done things like that but you were fighting like a bull.” She scowled at the comparison and he withdrew a bit.

“OK look you aren’t going to make friends with faces like that,” she smirked slightly and she snapped at him, “I don’t need any friends, and I don’t want any!”

His jaw had dropped at her statement and he’d exclaimed, “Liar! Everyone wants friends even you and you know it!” The accusing tone of his voice made her not want to say anything, as if he’d already known her.

She did want to make friends. But she didn’t know how. She’d always just had Hylla, if didn’t count the ones she’d had on Circe’s Island.

“I could be your friend,” her head had snapped up and she stared at him, and noticed the small scar above his lip, “I mean if you’ll let me.”

She had been so lost in his offer she hadn’t realized to respond, “Why?” I sounded a lot harsher than she’d meant it to be and he flinched. 

“Since I’m a son of Jupiter everyone treats me like royalty but not you,” he kept his gaze on the floor between them before finally looking at her, “I guess I just want a real friend, on that doesn’t care about who my dad is.” She couldn’t have helped the smile spreading across her face.

“Then your in luck because I give absolutely no crap about who your dad is.” They’d been best friends since that day.

Brian came back holding a delicious smelling cup of steaming liquid and a note. From far away she recognized Jason’s rushed scrawl across the paper.

“Note first,” he said placing both in front of her.

With cold finger she picked the note up and read.

Reyna’s birthday surprise

Make it strong but not so strong as to keep her up all night and make her sleep like the dead the next day.  
Also add cinnamon cause it’s her favorite.  
Make it sweet because she’s sweet (at least on the inside)  
Foam add foam.  
Thanks Brian your the best

~J Grace

She could feel the burning of tears behind her eyes as she placed the note back down and wrapped her hands around the warm cup.

“He said I could name it,” Brian said smoothing his goatee with his fingers, “but I knew he’d want me to name it after you so I did, you deserve it.” Her lips trembled and she didn’t trust herself to speak. She just lifted it to her lips and sipped.

It tasted like heaven.

She wanted to cry.

The clock on the wall chimed, and repeated the sound eleven more times.

It was her birthday.

She shut her eyes and imagined Jason loudly singing happy birthday to her like he always did.

She let the few tears fall, there being no one around, excluding Brian, to see them.

This was easily the worst birthday ever.

*********************************************************************

Reyna sighed as she put away the last of the paper work she was going to do today. It was twelve in the afternoon and she had the rest of the day off since it was her birthday.

She planned to just sleep, read a book, and maybe order her new favorite drink from Brian’s Café. She planned to relax as much as she could.

She pushed open the door to her room and almost screamed when she was greeted by a series of shouts.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” They all yelled and she caught herself on the doorpost and stared at the figures in her room.

“What in the…” She trailed off while looking at the four innocent faces smiling back at her.

“Nathan! Gwen! Marcus! Dakota what in the name of the gods is going on?” She asked regaining her composure.

“It’s a birthday party duh,” Gwen said pulling Reyna in and shutting the door behind her, “it was Jason’s idea,” she added softly and Reyna swallowed hard on the lump in her throat.

Marcus stepped forward and presented a sticky note to her.

It read:  
1\. Tell Marcus, Dakota, Gwen and Nathan about keeping surprise party for Reyna  
2\. Plan it out with decorations  
3\. Make sure to keep it in her room  
4\. Pray to the gods she doesn't find out because then it wouldn’t be a surprise  
5\. Surprise her with party!

She smiled and shook her head.

She just wanted to read a book.

After the party they’d needed to sober up (mostly Dakota because he’d had too much kool aid) so Reyna decided to do at least one of the relaxing this she’d planned.

They sat in a booth and a waitress instantly came to take their orders.

“What’ll it be?” She asked with a smile.

“Kool aid!” Dakota exclaimed banging his fist on the table and Gwen sighed, “Water, get him water, a very big pitcher of it.”

Gwen ordered a hot chocolate for herself, Marcus an espresso and Nathan got a regular coffee and tried to flirt with the waitress but got let down hard when she let him know that her girlfriend might be mortal but could beat him so hard monsters will be the least of his problems.

Finally she turned to Reyna who’d been pretending to read the menu although she’d already known what she was getting.

“Gimme a Reyna,” she said with a smile which got bigger upon seeing her friends confused faces.

The waitress just took it down and left to give Brian their orders.

‘Thanks Jason,’ she thought, ‘even without being here you made this the best birthday yet.’


End file.
